Page 34 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

“Don’t leave us hanging,” Sienna pressed.

I could see Lyra wavering.

“I’ll do it,” I said, surprising even myself. “But only if she does, too.”

Lyra groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. “Ugh, fine. But if this is embarrassing, I’m never forgiving any of you.”

We all laughed as we got up and headed to the stage. The woman with long dark hair and bright green eyes who’d called Sienna’s name passed a microphone to each of us.

“Awesome. Have fun, ladies,” she said, stepping off the stage.

I could feel my nerves buzzing, but it was more from excitement than anxiety.

“What song did you pick?” Lyra asked Sienna, leaning around me to look at her.

“You’ll see,” Sienna insisted as the music started up.

It was an upbeat song I actually knew, which I was thankful for. Sienna gave us a confident nod, and then we were all singing our hearts out together on stage.

The crowd cheered, and I could see the guys at the table hooting and hollering for us. Waylen stood, pumping his fist in the air, while he held his phone up. No doubt he was recording.It didn’t matter though, because for the next few minutes, I forgot everything—Xander, his possession, my power surfacing, and whatever Aunt Maribel was hiding. It was just the music, laughter, and pure joy of doing something silly with new friends that filled my head. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d let myself cut loose and have some fun.

It felt good.

When the song ended, the applause was loud, and I was breathless, grinning like I hadn’t in ages. The four of us laughed as we made our way back to the table where the guys sat.

“You looked like you were having fun up there,” Ellis said as I sat in my chair.

“I was. More fun than I’ve had in a long time,” I admitted.

“Good.” He grinned. “You deserve it.”

“Thank you.”

Waylen bought another pitcher and once everyone had a full beer in front of them again, conversation flowed. It remained lighter and more relaxed than it had been earlier, which was nice. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ellis looking at me. When I shifted to meet his stare, I saw that his expression was more serious than before. My smile faded.

“What is it?” I asked.

He reached over and took my hand, his gaze never wavering from mine.

“I love you,” he said quietly, but his voice was full of conviction, like he’d been waiting to say those words all night.

My breath caught in my throat, and the world tilted. A gentle warmth bloomed in my chest as I held his gaze, seeing the depth of his genuine care and how much he meant what he’d said reflected in his eyes.

“I love you too,” I whispered, not even surprised at how easy it was to say the words back.

This man was soft, he was gentle, he was sweet and caring. He held doors open for me and bought my daughter ice cream. He could change a tire and plan a day of fun.

He was exactly who I needed in my life, and I loved him because of it.

Ellis’s eyes softened, and he leaned in to kiss me. It was slow and tender, like he was savoring the taste of the words we’d shared.

For the first time in a long time, everything in my life felt like it was in alignment again.

Even with all the chaos and danger that seemed to surround us.

“All right,” Dean said, drawing everyone’s attention. “We’ve had some fun. Now, let’s figure out what our next move is with this Xander situation.”

“Leave figuring out how to get that feather from his raven to me,” Sienna said, a confident smile playing on her lips. “Y’all have gotten us this far. Now it’s my turn to tap in. Just give me some time to figure it out.”

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